Waiting
by SweetlyVague
Summary: Claire and Leon run into a dire situation while investigating a Neo-Umbrella facility. An ill-fated plan will change one of their lives forever. Hints of ClairexLeon. Working on Chapter 4- I promise- the holidays have been hectic!
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Okay, how easy writing depressing things is for me concerns me sometimes lmao. Also, writing short stories comes so easily to me, yet sitting and planning a long story just doesn't pan out well. So this will be a short one! Also, this was inspired by an "Imagine Your OTP" prompt, They have some great prompts to get your creative juices flowing! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this story. I always appreciate reviews!

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Keep going! Move! Move!"

Leon S. Kennedy shouted to his redheaded companion as she glanced back at him with nervous blue eyes, her arms pumping desperately for speed. She continued to bolt down the long hallway and Leon followed, their heavy footsteps muted below his heartbeat. He was used to his missions not exactly going to plan, but this was something else. Not only was the Neo-Umbrella compound they were investigating teeming with the virus, they'd also just opened a door to the Staff Mess Hall only to have a good portion of the undead staff stumble out after them. Most were in the late stages of decay and if the sheer terror of their hungry hands reaching for them wasn't enough to get them moving, the smell certainly was.

_Come on. Come on._

He knew almost every door along the corridor was locked and they were running out of space and time. _Namely space_, he thought with an inward sigh, certain he could almost feel the hands of their assailants reaching for him. A chill crept up his back.

"Leon! The Quiet Room!" Claire yelled back at him, her voice sounding distant in comparison to the gnashing teeth behind them. It was a room they'd come across that seemed to be some sort of resting area for the staff. Perhaps for long shifts. Either way, it was the only unlocked door nearby and their best shot for any semblance of safety.

* * *

Claire Redfield burst into the Quiet Room, waiting only long enough for Leon to run in before slamming the door shut. As soon as the door closed she could hear the bodies of the undead crashing desperately against it. After double and triple checking that the door's latch was locked, she turned to look at Leon.

"Well," she chuckled softly, "We're not zombie food."

Leon's gaze was serious. It always amazed her how different he was when he was in his "Super Secret Agent" mode. She caught his eyes soften momentarily, but it was just that, "True. But we're at a dead end. And that door won't hold forever."

She suppressed a grin and leaned back against the door, letting her gaze trail upwards. There on the wall to her right was a large vent set just below where the wall met the ceiling. It wasn't very large, but Claire was a small woman who barely broke 5"4'.

Leon looking up at the vent and the concept clicked instantly. He actually smirked that lopsided smirk of his, shaking his head, "I don't give you nearly enough credit, Red."

Shrugging, Claire pushed away from the door and moved closer to the vent, "Well, my plan isn't the greatest, but it's something..." she trailed off as she tried to put her thoughts together, "The vents are bound to lead all over the place, obviously, and if I can get out I can distract our mob away from the door, somehow. They've always been a little one-track-minded, yeah?"

* * *

Leon nodded, suddenly realizing how uncomfortable he was feeling. There was a growing knot in his stomach and he shifted his weight to his other foot. Claire was looking pleased with herself, which _did _help to amuse him, although it didn't quell the anxiety.

_Hey. Claire is a perfectly capable woman. More than perfectly capable. Don't sell her short._

She was propped up onto her tip-toes and eying the vent, her long and slender fingers trailing against the cool metal. Despite the heavy feeling, he managed to smile. Claire was an incredible woman. Tough, spunky, funny and stubborn as all Hell. She was a force to be reckoned with. Raccoon City had changed his life in more ways than he could say- the introduction of Claire Redfield being one of those ways.

"Ace?"

Leon blinked a couple times, "What?"

Claire was smiling with her hands on her hips, "Gonna give me a boost or what? You're losing your edge, Super Secret Agent."

The knot in his stomach twinged. As if on queue the sturdy door shook and Leon raised his handgun instinctively towards it. The door was holding, but it wouldn't forever. It was surprising how strong the infected could be.

"Let's do this." Claire's bright blue eyes had darkened and she looked ready to go. Leon nodded and moved under the vent, readying his hands to give the petite redhead a boost. Just as she stepped in front of him, he lowered his hands. He didn't mean to. Something felt so wrong, "Claire, are you sure?"

* * *

Claire was caught off guard by Leon's question, unsure of what to do but blink up at him. The way he looked at her was unsettling, his usually steely gaze filled with... was that worry?

"Leon?" She leaned a little closer, looking at him curiously.

He looked away and sighed. Opening his mouth to speak, he promptly shut it as if rethinking his words. Looking at her once again, he spoke, "We don't know exactly how many hostiles are out there aside from an ass-ton. I can't say I feel comfortable sending you out there to be the bait."

_Leon..._

Claire's lips curled into a smile, her hand reaching to grab his. She had grown too used to the all-business side of Leon while on mission, this softer side of him throwing her off her game. It was so strange.

_But nice_, she thought to herself, hoping she wasn't doing something ridiculous like blushing. Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, she shrugged, "Hey, it's not like it's my fist rodeo, hm? Besides, your fat ass isn't going to fit in that vent, Ace."

It was his turn to be caught off guard and he laughed, "Yeah, ye-"

He was cut off by another heart-stopping bang on the door. They both turned to look at it, completely thrown from their moment. The door was visibly shaking and it was clear the door was holding even poorer than they assumed. Claire turned back to Leon and offered him a half-smile and tried to pretend she wasn't a little terrified- for the both of them, "I have to go _now_."

Leon didn't say a thing and Claire let go of his hand. She wasn't sure what possessed her, moving in close and wrapping her arms around her friend's torso in a tight embrace. It was true that she'd been through a Hell of a lot- it just never got easier. She was scared. It didn't matter to her, though, because there was no other choice. Leon was hugging her back and showing no signs of letting go when Claire sighed and pulled away, mentally pumping herself up for the task at hand.

Back to his stoic, on mission self, Leon nodded curtly and readied his hands to boost her up. Claire looked at him one last time, studying his handsome, carefully masked features and offered him one more smile, "Stay safe, Ace."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** This story was only supposed to be short and sweet, but it's been going on longer than I expected. I'm assuming it'll be two chapters long in total. The next chapter will be up in the next day or two!


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Okay, so this is NOT the final chapter. It keeps stretching on! It was meant to be, literally, less than 1000 words. Whoops. Chapter 3 will most likely be enough for me to tell the whole story, but I guess I can't promise anything at this point, lol. But likely! Please enjoy! And I would also appreciate reviews. I always like some constructive criticism. It's a tad short, but I'm writing Chapter 3 as we speak. I just wanted to get this chapter up!

* * *

And she was gone.

Leon watched as she climbed into the vent and disappeared into the darkness, that knot in his stomach worsening by the moment. He shook his head and brushed his fingerless gloved hand back through his dirty blonde hair.

He wasn't happy with the way he was dealing with their situation. He felt as if he'd played a big part in their disaster. Why hadn't he mapped out their location better? He made the mistake of assuming their mission was a simple in and out. He was better than this and he knew it.

_Now you've endangered the woman you…_-

Leon's own thoughts surprised him and he had to take a moment to gather the pieces. He growled in irritation at the very fact that he was even thinking of this while on the clock. Waiting for Claire to radio him, he looked over his handgun.

_…Do I… love her? _He glanced up at the darkness of the vent, sighing heavily. It wasn't the time or the place, but the thought was suddenly plaguing him. He knew he wasn't 100% himself when she was around. Maybe having her as a partner was a bad idea.

_No. No. You are more yourself with her than you are anywhere else. Who you are on the clock isn't you.. it's who you need to be then._

"Jesus Christ, this is not the time." He spoke out loud, absolutely fed up with himself. The hostiles outside the door moaned and gurgled in reply, pulling Leon back into the situation.

___Look, settle down. She's right. It's not like she's an amateur._ _What's the matter with you, Kennedy? You're not a rookie. She's not a rookie. Stop letting your emotions run you. _Just make it out of here and then put thought into all this… Claire stuff.

* * *

Claire blew stray auburn hair away from her curious eyes, giving the room she'd dropped into a quick once over. It wasn't designed much differently than the Quiet Room with its deep red walls and questionably lavish furniture pieces, but it was at least triple the size and looked to serve as a small library or study room.

"Alrighty…" she unholstered her handgun and checked the room over again for any nasty surprises, her footsteps slow and careful as she peered over desks and plush chairs. Once she established the room was clear she let out the breath she didn't even realize she was holding, returning the firearm to the holster on her thigh. She rifled through a few loose papers on one of the desks, noting how many Sciences courses she'd need to take to even have a real clue at what those papers were telling her. Looking around once more, she crossed her arms over her chest.  
_  
Red room... That means I'm still in the same area as Leon._ During their exploration of the facility, Claire had gotten a few too many cases of déjà vu. The rooms along each unit, as Leon called them, were decorated and painted alike. So far they'd come across red, blue and green. _His theory is pretty solid… especially considering how few rooms we've actually managed to dig through. It looks like we need about four different keys, at minimum, to look this place through thoroughly. I guess Umbrella isn't over their Cloak and Dagger phase, yet._

Edging towards the door, she turned the handle and hoped to God it would open. The idea of trying to climb back into the vent didn't go over so well with her. She took a breath and pushed. The door opened with ease and she peered carefully into the hallway, hearing the sounds of the undead crowd pounding at the door of the Quiet Room. She opened the door enough to get a better look and could see that she was simply down the hall from where Leon was, maybe twenty meters away. Closing the door as quietly as she could, Claire clicked her tongue in thought. Leading the infected away would be an incredibly easy task. Sure, they'd evolved with every new virus that plagued them, but some things didn't change. She knew the moment they laid eyes on her, they'd come after her. Their pack mentality would take over and Leon would be clear to leave the Quiet Room. As for her?  
_  
Not a clue._

Sighing at herself, Claire raised her hand and pressed a finger to the device hooked to her left ear.

* * *

"I'm just a couple rooms down, Leon. It's really red with a little touch of Hugh Hefner."

Claire's unmistakable voice broke through the earpiece Leon wore and he found himself laughing under his breath at her strange and, sadly, accurate description of the unit they were located on. It never stopped surprising him at how much Umbrella and their friends loved to spend their money on facilities they were more than likely to lose to some sort of spill. _Never fails, _he shook his head and glanced at the door, taking a deep breath before speaking, "Copy that. Are your surroundings secure?"

"Yeah, it's all clear in here. How are you holding up, Ace?"

Leon's eyes didn't leave the door, his right hand lingering over his holstered handgun. The breaking point was coming and it was coming soon. To think, the mission was meant to be simple. The intel alluded to a completely clean mission and they weren't prepared for a hoard.

_We should have been. I should have been. I should have known better. Nothing goes right when Umbrella is involved._

"Not gonna lie, Claire. I don't have long."

A long silence.

"I know… I'll figure something out, Leon. Promise."

He wanted to say something else. There was another uncomfortable feeling stirring in his stomach and it definitely wasn't the growing knot of worry. He wanted to tell her to climb into the vent and come back. To tell her to stay in the room and forget about looking out for him. Anything to stop her. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was scared for Claire, the woman who gave him feelings he had no name for. No matter how much he told himself that she was a capable woman, the idea of her facing that crowd of hostiles alone made him feel helpless. Leon did not appreciate such a foreign feeling.

He didn't have the time to verbalize what he was feeling; Leon could see the door coming apart at the frame. Wood was splintering and the bolt that was securing him from them was now visible. Before he could even think to do it, he had his weapon drawn, the precise red dot of his laser sight trained at the center of the door.

The door crashed inwards and Leon was looking death in the eye. All he could see was the hostile standing ahead of the rest, his milky white eyes staring and oh-so-hungry. Judging by the creature's uniform, he had been a lab worker in life. In death: a simple, decaying shell.

It had been milliseconds, but it felt like ages. Leon's finger slid down towards the trigger and he readied himself for the end. Every heart beat felt like a punch to his chest, and every sense was coming alive from his stirring adrenaline.

Oddly enough, all he was thinking about was Claire Redfield. Leon's lips curled into a smirk, "Heh."

The undead man lunged at him.


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Okay, I keep lying to you. I expected Chapter 3 to be the last, but I've hit a bit of a roadblock in my writing. I was gone to Florida for Halloween Horror Nights (they had Silent Hill and Walking Dead themed houses and areas!) and now that I'm back, my brain doesn't want to work. I'll just stop telling you when I expect to be done lmao. This one is shorter than the others, but I really wanted to get something out to you! You've all been so great and I'm honestly excited and surprised at how much positive-ness this story has gotten. Reviews are always welcomed! Please, please, please let me know what you think! Thank you, dears.

* * *

_Get your ass in gear, girl, or Leon's gonna be a chew toy._

Claire had to do something- that wasn't an option. Pushing all fear, hesitation and better judgement aside, she pulled the door open and threw herself into the cold hall. In that moment she registered just how many of the undead their were and her heart jumped into her throat. She wasn't about to take the time to count, but it was clear there were over twenty of them stumbling and reaching over one another in a mindless, clumsy fight to get to her trapped partner. It sparked a deep-set discomfort within her; Leon was always the type to come out on top. Raccoon City, Spain, Harvardville and God knows what else. He was the unstoppable force who prevailed despite the odds. And now? His odds were in her hands and that scared her.

_I can't mess this up. If I do-_Her thought was disrupted by a terrible cracking noise, following by a heavy thud, and Claire noticed a dip in the front of the ravenous crowd.

_The door!_

Claire tore her gun from her holster, her stance widening instinctively. She didn't have to think about it. She couldn't; there was no time. Squeezing the trigger and then again, two of the crowd dropped instantly to the ground. Their suddenly limp bodies helped to take down a few of their uncoordinated friends and many of the others had turned their attention to the redhead. _Their eyes... They're always so hungry._

She fired again, her feet slowly taking her backwards, "Well? ...Come on!"

In horrific unison, the creatures started towards Claire, their unstoppable hunger fixated on her. Some were slower than others, but they were still much faster than the shambling messes she could almost say she missed from Raccoon City. Turning on her heels, she started to run. With no real destination in mind, her lips set into a grim line as her legs moved as fast as she could will them. Part of her felt lighter, though, knowing she diverted most of them away from Leon.

_I just hope it was enough, Ace._

* * *

Three shots fired and Leon already had the bulk of the remaining hostiles crumpled on Umbrella's expensive carpet. Only two left.

The first, a burly looking man in maintenance worker wear, dove for him with surprising vigor considering how far gone he was. Leon swung his left forearm upwards and caught it under its chin. The creature stumbled back and Leon turned to press the muzzle of his handgun where his forearm had connected, pulling the trigger. As the maintenance worker fell, Leon spun with all his weight on his left leg, using his right to kick the last hostile in the chest. It fell backwards with a groan and Leon was quick to fire. It was gone before it hit the ground.

"Still got it," Leon nodded to himself, stepping over the permanent dead. He made his way into the hallway and did a brief sweep of it. Nothing was moving. Claire had without a doubt saved his life. The fiery redhead kept her promise, not that he had it in himself to doubt her. Keeping his handgun raised and ready, he moved quietly in the direction his partner would have logically went, his heart already beginning to pick up again. He didn't have much more than a moment to be thankful for just how much Claire had saved his ass because that familiar knot in his stomach tightened. Where did she go? Where could she have gone?

_Claire..._

Leon furrowed his brows, not realizing how tight his grip had become around the handle of his gun. He grit his teeth together and growled out a sound of frustration. One roadblock down, but another huge one presented itself. Claire was doing exactly what he feared- facing the hostiles alone- and she was doing it for him. _ Stop. Get emotional and you're bound to fuck this up worse. Kennedy. Locate her and help her. End of story._

He nodded to himself, taking a small and calming breath before reached up to his earpiece, "Claire? I'm clear of all hostiles."

Silence.

"Claire? Come in, Claire." Leon could feel his heart pounding against his chest, finding it harder and harder to keep his pace steady with every passing moment, "Claire?"

The agent was almost running down the hall when a small burst of sound came from his earpiece. Stopping, he adjusted it against his ear, "Claire? Come in."

Much to his relief, her voice came through, "Leon."

He was relieved that she'd come through, but there was a strained tone to her voice. They weren't always the closest people in the world over all their years of friendship. He was often away on missions and she, too, had a busy schedule. Even so, Leon S. Kennedy knew Claire Redfield like the back of his hand. She was out of breath, understandably, but something wasn't right.

Something was wrong.


End file.
